Trespassers
by Prinzessin
Summary: Lorne and his team are in trouble. Can they get themselves out or will Sheppard have to do the honors? complete
1. Chapter 1

Title: Trespassers

Summary: Lorne and his team are in trouble. Can they get themselves out or will Sheppard have to do the honors?  
Word Count: 3723  
Rating: FRT  
Warnings: Violence ahead. No spoilers.  
Disclaimer: Since you don't see this on TV, I obviously don't own SGA. People far luckier (and wealthier) than I possess them.  
Author's Notes: Not beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Written for a LJ challenge.

---

Rodney McKay, John Sheppard and Elizabeth Weir sat in her office, going over reports when the alarm for gate activation went off. They raced into the control room, where they were told that it was an unscheduled offworld activation and that no IDC had been received.

Rodney looked over Chuck, the gate tech's shoulder, waiting to see if an IDC came. But none did, and the gate shut down.

"Did we get anything?" Elizabeth demanded.

"Negative, ma'am. No transmissions or any other signals, nothing hit the shield…" Chuck shrugged.

"What offworld teams do we have?" Sheppard asked Elizabeth.

"SGA Two and three. Major Lorne is out with Dr. Parrish while Sgt. Stackhouse is accompanying Dr. Neville to 217," Elizabeth answered. "Stackhouse reported in two hours ago, everything was fine."

"And when was the last time Lorne checked in?" Sheppard asked.

"They haven't, sir," Chuck answered. "They're first check-in was over an hour ago."

Sheppard looked up to meet Rodney's gaze, who wasn't looking back at him. Rodney was looking at the computer screen, though he couldn't imagine what the scientist would be looking at. But John didn't get a chance to ask as Elizabeth stepped in.

"Dial the Gate. I want to radio Major Lorne," she said, and Chuck immediately complied.

"Lorne, this is Weir, come in," she said, then repeated when no answer was received.

"Nothing, ma'am," Chuck said when the gate shut down.

"John…" she began.

"Rodney, be ready in 15. I'll let Teyla and Ronon know," the commanding officer said, then turned to head out before getting any reply from Elizabeth.

"Anything Rodney?" she asked, seeing that McKay had barely acknowledged Sheppard's order.

"Nothing," he sighed. "I was just checking to see if a signal of some sort came through, but the sensors didn't pick up anything. I guess we'll have to see for ourselves what happened."

---

"This kind of thing only happens to Sheppard's team," Lieutenant Justin Dillon said, pulling against the chains that tethered his wrists to the wall behind him.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Lorne drawled. He'd already run out of self-extraction ideas, and was hoping to be inspired, but so far, nothing was coming.

"When do you think Atlantis will realize something went wrong?" Lieutenant Brian Coffey asked.

"Depends on how fast Parrish ran," Lorne replied, "And if he got back to Atlantis. But, at the most, I'd say not long. Colonel Sheppard gets picky when a team misses a check-in by more than a few hours."

The conversation ended when the door open, and a haggard and roughed-up Parrish was tossed into the room, landing awkwardly in front of Lorne.

"He's one of yours," one of their captors sneered.

"Yes," Lorne replied, biting the sigh that would normally go with that. "He's our botanist."

"Botanist?" the captor repeated, taking a couple steps toward the Major.

"Someone who studies plants," Lorne defined after seeing that Parrish scrambled away from the man who threw him in the room.

The man snorted, then said, "Doesn't sound useful."

"Yeah, well, we like him," Lorne replied.

He got a fist to the stomach, and he couldn't do anything but take it. He bit his lip to keep quiet, only a rush of air came out of his mouth.

"You're the leader too," the man said.

"Yes," Lorne said, gritting his teeth a bit.

"Did you tell him to run?"

"Yes," Lorne answered, there was no point in lying. He'd ordered Parrish to run to the gate and get help. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

A black eye and a split lip later, Lorne could only watch as Parrish was chained to the wall like he, Dillon and Coffey. Then they were left alone.

"I…I'm sorry, Major," Parrish stuttered as Lorne tried wiping the corner of his mouth with his shoulder.

"Not your fault," Lorne replied, then spit blood onto the floor. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Parrish answered. "I'm fine. Little rough around the edges."

Lorne narrowed his eyes at the lanky doctor, trying to do his own once-over with a swelling eye. All-in-all, Parrish looked alright, but Lorne wanted a second opinion.

"Coffey, what do you think?" he asked, nicking his head toward Parrish.

"The doc looks better than you," Coffey answered, and Lorne was satisfied with that.

"Look, if anyone gets any ideas on how we're getting the Hell out of here, just let me know," Lorne sighed, shifting his weight from one leg to another.

"This may not be a suggestion," Parrish began. "But I managed to…establish a wormhole before I was taken. I didn't get to tell them anything, but…"

"They'll know something's up," Coffey finished. "Might just get help here earlier."

Since their watches had been taken, no one knew how long it was until several of their captors arrived again, including the leader that had identified himself as Novil when they were captured.

"What's this?" a captor demanded of Dillon, who moved his head back an inch just so he could focus on what was being held right in front of his face.

Dillon chanced a glance at Lorne, who nodded slightly. "A radio," the young Marine answered. "It's to communicate with other people. We all have one."

"And the others like you?"

"Yeah, them too."

"Which one of you is called Lorne?" the same man demanded.

"I am," he replied, then watched as the man walked to stand in front of him.

"Someone is calling you," the man stated.

"They're looking for us," Lorne replied. "We're late getting back."

"We wouldn't have this problem if you didn't trespass on our sacred land," Novil said, who was standing in front of Parrish.

"We wouldn't have if it were marked," Coffey offered.

But instead of Coffey taking a fist to the gut, Lorne got it instead from another captor. This time, Lorne couldn't help the grunt that escaped since he hadn't seen that one coming. Dillon and Coffey protested and struggled against their restraints until Novil quieted them.

"The leader takes the punishment for his soldiers," Novil told them, then looked over at Lorne. "I am still deciding on the proper punishment for your trespass, and his attempt to flee justice."

Novil had indicated Parrish, though they all knew who he meant. Dillon opened his mouth to protest something, but shut his mouth when he saw Lorne shake his head vigorously at him.

They were once again left alone, and Lorne really wished he could move his arms. He looked at the other three men, then said, "Look, next time anyone wants to get smart with these guys, don't. And that's an order. If I'm going to take a hit, I want to earn it myself."

Parrish, Dillon and Coffey all nodded, with Dillon and Coffey throwing in their obligatory "Yes, sir" as well. And Coffey knew that the Major didn't want to hear or say any more on the subject, so he considered it closed like Lorne wanted. Nothing more was said in the room as the four men contemplated their escape.

The door opened, and Novil entered first, dressed in some sort of ceremonial-looking garb, and Lorne's stomach fell. A small gang followed Novil in and unchained the Atlantis team from the wall.

"I have decided on a punishment," Novil said to Lorne. "You will take most of it. Though your…botanist…will also be punished as well."

Lorne wisely kept his mouth shut, but glanced at Coffey and Dillon, who automatically knew what the Major was telling them. Then Lorne looked over at Parrish, who was pale and trembling slightly. The botanist was ill-prepared for danger, especially this kind. There was no way that Lorne was going to let anything happen to Parrish. But, as he was being led away, he grimly thought that there may be nothing he can do about it.

---

Ronon was the first through the gate with Teyla and Sheppard on his heels and McKay bringing up the rear. Sheppard tried to radio Lorne while Ronon looked for clues, Teyla kept watch and McKay used one of his scanners.

"Anything?" Sheppard growled when his repeated calls for Lorne went unanswered.

"Nothing in the area," McKay answered, glancing up from his scanner.

Sheppard curtly nodded to McKay, then looked over at Ronon and Teyla.

"There was a struggle here," Ronon said, pointing to the ground. "Not much of one, but it was recent. And there is a set of prints that match the boots your people wear."

"Tell me that's a good sign," Sheppard sighed.

"Whoever made these prints was strong enough to walk well on his own," Ronon added, and Sheppard nodded.

Ronon led the way, following the prints as his guide. Teyla followed the Satedan with McKay behind her and Sheppard covering their sixes.

---

"This can't be good," Dillon muttered, followed by something in a language Lorne didn't understand, but didn't he want to know.

"Sir…" Coffey began, but Lorne only shook his head.

"Look, whatever punishment you're dishing out to my botanist, you might as well just give me. He may not be a soldier, but he still follows my orders. And I ordered him to run like Hell," Lorne told Novil and their other captors.

Novil turned to glance at Lorne, who stared right back. The pair engaged in a sort of staring contest for a few seconds, then Novil turned away.

"If the leader wishes to take his man's punishment, then so be it. Tie this one with the others," Novil declared, motioning toward Parrish.

"Major!" Parrish exclaimed as his arms were wrenched behind him.

"Go with it, doc," Lorne said, feigning a calm he hoped showed through.

Once Parrish was tied to a post on Coffey's other side from Dillon, Lorne was shoved chest first into a larger post, his hands bound around it. He turned his head as best he could, trying to see what was happening behind him. Then he felt something poke into his back, and he could feel the fabric of his shirt being cut open. Resigning himself at not being able to see what was happening, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against the rough wood. Whatever it was, he knew it was going to hurt.

Lorne closed his eyes, took steadying deep breaths, tightened the muscles in his legs and back, and waited amidst the vocal protests from the rest of his team. He silently prayed for a miracle as footsteps approached him, and something being dragged.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Since you don't see this on TV, I obviously don't own SGA. People far luckier (and wealthier) than I possess them.  
---

"Sheppard, I'm getting life signs," McKay announced, stopping in his tracks.

Luckily, McKay was known for doing that and Sheppard was able to avoid colliding with him. Ronon and Teyla also stopped, turning to face their teammates.

"How far?" Sheppard asked.

"Two kilometers, give or take," McKay answered. "These things don't exactly come with distance gauges."

"Let's double-time it, then. If Lorne's not answering, there's a problem," Sheppard said, and the team continued their trek through the forest.

---

It didn't take Lorne long to realize what his punishment was. One crack of the whip, one laceration into his bare skin was enough. The only question was- how many? One was followed by two, and he stopped counting after that. With clenched teeth and his arms holding onto the pole as tightly as possible, Lorne took each lash as best he could. After each lash, breath was forced out of his lungs, and he was barely able to get another one before the next lash fell.

Then it was over. He heard voices, but couldn't make out who's voice or the words that were being said. He knew nothing except for the pain and dizziness that were quickly consuming him. He fought to stay awake, to regain his senses and his awareness, he knew he needed to use this opportunity to whatever advantage that he had. But his legs couldn't support him and he sank to his knees, his chest and chin getting scrapped in the process.

A while later, it could've been minutes or hours for all Lorne knew, he was slowly beginning to get himself back together. He stayed as still as possible, not wanting the captors to know what was happening. He opened his eyes to see that night had fallen, and he knew that the chilly air was helping him. He listened for a few minutes, and when he was sure that none of the captors were around, he played with the bonds on his wrists.

Smirking slightly, he loosened the bonds as he kept an ear out. As soon as his wrists were free, he turned so that he was sitting on the dirt. He could make out the forms of his three teammates, and saw that Coffey and Dillon were watching him intently. He kept low, and made his way over to them.

"Where's the rest of the party?" Lorne asked as he untied Coffey.

"All snug and warm in their beds," Coffey answered bitterly.

"Good, let them stay there until morning. Hopefully we can get back to the gate before anyone notices were gone," Lorne replied.

"Sir?" Coffey asked when Lorne untied his hands, but didn't move.

"Just get Dillon first. Then go get our weapons and our transmitter and whatever gear you can. We'll meet you there."

Coffey did as he was told. And once Dillon was free, Coffey crept away. Parrish and Dillon helped a weakened Lorne to meet Coffey, who was waiting with their packs and weapons. Lorne raised an eyebrow when he saw everything, but Coffey opened his mouth before Lorne could ask.

"We'll manage. I don't want to leave these bastards a thing that they could use."

Lorne nodded, but said nothing. He wasn't surprised that he wasn't the only one with vindictive thoughts. Coffey took point while Parrish supported Lorne as best he could and Dillon covered their backs. It wasn't long before Coffey stopped suddenly, raised a fist, and the team dropped low. He pointed ahead, then crept forward. A figure appeared in the path, and it didn't take them long to know who was in front of them.

---

"It's getting dark, John," McKay whined…again.

"Yes, Rodney, I can see that," Sheppard dryly replied, tightening his grip on his P-90 to keep his rising frustration in check.

"Shouldn't we be setting up camp or something like that?"

Sighing, Sheppard snapped, "No, we aren't setting up camp. We're finding Lorne and getting him and his team the Hell out of here."

"We don't even know anything's wrong…" McKay began, then snapped his mouth shut when he saw the look he was getting.

"I'm not taking that chance. Anyway, something is wrong, and don't ask me how I know. I just do. Call it Colonel's Intuition if you want."

"Colonel's Intuition?" McKay repeated. "You can't just co-op something…"

"I can if I want," Sheppard growled. "I also know my Major. Lorne doesn't pull shit like this. If he doesn't answer, then something's keeping him from doing so."

Wisely, McKay didn't argue the point any further. He just shrugged and went to follow Ronon and Teyla. Night came soon, and they used night-vision goggles to make their way through the dense forest. Ronon went ahead a little, then jogged back.

"There's people up ahead," Ronon stated.

"How many?" Sheppard asked.

"Four," McKay answered, consulting his scanner.

"Our guys?"

"I don't know," McKay answered. "This may read the difference between human and Wraith, but not between Atlantis personnel…"

"The 'I don't know' part was sufficient," Sheppard interrupted.

"I'll take a look around and report back," Ronon offered, and Sheppard nodded.

The others followed at a slower pace as Sheppard didn't want Ronon getting too far ahead of them should trouble be up ahead.

"Sheppard," Ronon's voice came over the radio.

"Sheppard here."

"It's Lorne and his team. I can hear their scientist," Ronon reported.

"We're on our way," Sheppard replied.

"Parrish isn't really…" McKay began.

"Rodney, shut up," Sheppard sighed.

---

"Ronon," Lorne sighed when he saw the dreadlocked figure in the moonlight.

"We were coming to rescue you," Ronon said, kneeling in front of the Major who had yet to get to his feet.

"Still might need it," Dillon replied. "There's a commotion coming from the village, which means our absence has been noticed."

"Sheppard, Teyla and McKay are right behind me," Ronon said. "What happened to you?"

"They took a whip to him," Coffey answered with anger. "Those bastards…"

"Coffey," Lorne said. "Now isn't the time."

"Yes, sir," Coffey replied, then turned quickly when he heard voices behind him. Raising his weapon, he immediately lowered it when he saw it was Sheppard, Teyla and McKay.

"We've got company coming this way," McKay said, holding up his scanner. "A lot of them."

"They're looking for us," Parrish said from his place next to Lorne.

"They're looking for a fight," Ronon added. "And I'd love to give 'em one."

"You and me both," Coffey threw in, getting an agreement from Dillon.

"Lorne?" Sheppard asked, seeing his second-in-command sitting on the dirt path.

"We gotta get him to Beckett," Dillon answered.

"Now," Parrish added. "He's fading on me."

"Alright," Sheppard said. "Teyla, I want you up ahead. Get to the gate and let Weir know that we have them…"

"And I will make sure that Dr. Beckett is ready for Major Lorne," she finished for the Colonel.

As Teyla went back up the path, Sheppard looked at the other three men. Seeing that they appeared well, he went about dividing up the tasks.

"Ronon, I want you watching our sixes in case the party decides to crash us. McKay, you keep an eye on their progress, I don't want them getting too close. Dillon, you and Parrish take Lorne while Coffey and I take point."

Once Parrish was able to waken Lorne enough to get him to move, the Atlanteans slowly made their way toward the gate. It was slow since Lorne was getting weaker by the step.

"Sir," Dillon panted. "He's out."

He and Parrish slowly lowered the unconscious Major to the ground, then stretched out their bodies.

"They're getting close," McKay reported nervously.

"Can we get to the gate before them?" Sheppard asked.

McKay shook his head. "They're moving to fast and the gate's too far. They'll catch up to us soon."

"Then we take up defensive positions here," Sheppard said. "We've got to make our stand and we might as well do it here. There's plenty of cover."

Sheppard radioed the information to Teyla, who offered to return and assist, but Sheppard refused. She needed to update Atlantis and make sure Lorne had help waiting for him. Once Parrish, McKay and Lorne were well away from the area that would be the fight, Coffey, Dillon, Ronon and Sheppard took up various positions and waited.

They didn't have to wait long, as the voices came closer and got louder. Soon, torches were seen. Coffey, who was the bait, stepped out into the path.

"Took you long enough," he said when he saw that Novil was leading the parade.

"How did you get free?" Novil demanded, and when he took a step forward, Coffey raised his P-90.

"I'd stay back," Coffey warned, thumbing the safety, though he knew it was off.

"You will return, and we will find the others."

"You see, I have a problem with that," Sheppard said, taking a step out. "I'm taking them back."

"They have not served out their punishment," Novil replied.

"You want punishment?" Ronon asked, stepping out and raising his weapon level with Novil's head.

The sound of a gun cocking in the darkness was the only sound from Dillon, and it was eerily effective. Novil glanced behind him, and Coffey recognized the others as their captors.

"It's up to you," Sheppard said. "But if you want to fight about it, I can guarantee there'll be blood, and it's going to be yours."

"You have no right…" Novil began, but stopped as something flew right in front of his eyes.

"The next shot won't miss," Ronon warned.

Novil glanced and saw the imposing man closest to him. Then he turned back to his followers.

"Leave, and know you will never be welcome here," Novil said.

"I can live with that," Sheppard said.

Once the others were far enough away, Dillon helped Parrish with Lorne while McKay confirmed that they were alone. Sheppard radioed Teyla to update her, and let her know that they were on their way.

"Anyway, they probably party like it's 899," Sheppard muttered, Coffey taking point alone while he followed Dillon, Parrish and Lorne.

"You know, depending on…" McKay began, then saw the look he was getting from Sheppard. "I know, I know. Shut up, Rodney."

---

It was a slow awakening for Lorne. The first thing that registered was the warmth, then the light behind his eyelids. A little while later were the voices, though there were too many to make out. Then he felt hands touching his every so often, or his shoulders. Then he realized a needle in his arm and the unmistakable Scottish brogue that could only belong to one person in the Pegasus Galaxy.

"Doc Beckett?" Lorne slurred, and he was surprised when the doctor understood him.

"I'm here, lad," Beckett answered. "Welcome back."

"How long?" was Lorne's next question as he struggled to right himself.

"Don't," Beckett tisked. "You have stitches on your back that need healing. That's why you're on your front to begin with. You've been back for two days now."

"Parrish…Coffey…Dillon?"

"All fine," Beckett answered. "As you will be soon enough."

Lorne was then asleep again. And the next time he woke, he wasn't alone, but he had different company. Before he opened his eyes, he listened to what was going on around him. And he heard his team rehashing tales ranging from childhood to high school and college and beyond. He opened his eyes slowly, then focused on the three men who were watching him intently.

"Major?" the three asked simultaneously.

Lorne didn't say anything, he just raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. Once the others had their turns to assure the Major of their good health, they went back to their stories, and Lorne threw in a comment here and there until he was lulled to sleep.

FIN


End file.
